Recently, 3D graphene oxide (GO) has attracted much attention due to its high specific surface area, multifunction, and facile preparation. Here, porous GO foams with extraordinary mechanical properties were prepared by using freeze-drying technique. The structure and mechanical properties of the GO foams have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and electronic universal testing machine. The unique structure endows the GO foams excellent elasticity, which can recover to its original shape even after compression hundreds of times. The density of GO foams has a significantly positive impact on the elastic modulus. Furthermore, the compressive strength of GO foams decreased linearly with decreasing relative humidity. A honeycomb model was constructed to investigate the effects of wall thickness, length, and included angle on the elastic modulus of GO foams. The structural evolution during the compression was revealed by finite element simulation.
Part of the book: Novel Nanomaterials